episode_0030

Two days have passed since I handed over the piercing to Laura.

She behaved the same way as usual, and I tried not to reveal her true feelings.

Laura occasionally looked at the box containing the piercings or held it in her hand, examined it here and there, and then put it back in her bag.

The benefits that can be gained are clear, but it is a product that causes a lot of resistance, so it would be a natural reaction.

I decided not to rush and wait for Laura’s decision leisurely.

After all, it is a matter of Laura’s heart.

‘I have to accept whatever the result is. Oh, but it’s so busy today too.’

I started physical training again today, but it was very difficult to follow the curriculum suggested by Laura.

But, just like last time, I gritted my teeth and held on, and with Laura’s encouragement, I fueled my desire to have a stronger body.

The difficult training made me look again at the status window, which I had not checked since the last suppression operation.

Perhaps it was because he contributed to killing Coco, but his level rose from 15 to 20 in an instant.

Thanks to this, I gained another special point, and this time I invested in magical power to raise it to C rank.

Just like when I first increased my mana, a warm energy spread throughout my body, and the physical fatigue that had accumulated from the morning training completely disappeared.

And I gained a new passive skill, magic circulation.

According to the explanation, it makes the magic flowing in the body circulate more efficiently, allowing more energy to be delivered to the body at once.

In other words, my physical abilities and health have slightly improved overall, allowing me to perform better in training and handle magic weapons better.

It seems that the choice to increase horsepower first was the right one.

The experience points for my strength, endurance, and agility status were all reduced because I had not been able to train for a while.

It’s unfortunate, but it’s not the result of laziness, so I don’t think there’s any need to feel bad.

In the first place, I am the one who can achieve with just a few touches what others would have to work hard to achieve throughout their lives, so I can tolerate this much.

Next, we looked at non-combat skills.

Perhaps thanks to dodging Coco’s attacks and getting hit a few times, his evasion went up from 1 to 3 and his pain tolerance went up from 3 to 5.

And then I saw the combat skills.

A series of combat experiences gained through suppression operations increased the skill level of all combat skills by 1.

Therefore, the skill level of gun shooting and suppressive shooting rose to 5, and quick aiming and high-speed reloading rose to 6 and 7, respectively.

And I gained new passive skills, which are magic armor proficiency and magic shield proficiency.

I don’t know if there will ever be a day in the future where I will wear the magic armor exclusive to the knights, but it’s something to try and acquire the skills for now.

On the other hand, magic shields are not exclusive to knights, so they can be very useful if you can get them.

However, I have never seen magic shields in any of the magic-related stores I have visited so far, so I cannot guarantee whether they are actually being sold.

‘It would be nice to have something like a summoning magic skill. Even though there is magic in this world, there is nothing very mysterious about it. ‘I guess it can’t be helped in a world where wizards have become a thing of the past.’

Since ancient times, magic must have a certain mystique, but perhaps because I chose a world with guns, I have never seen magic that is truly magical.

What is more interesting is the various ointments and potions provided by the temple.

It seemed like magic since any wound could be healed quickly as long as it didn’t kill you, but they claimed it wasn’t magic but God’s grace, so I had no choice but to believe it.

In my experience, horsepower is considered to be just a power source that moves according to a person’s will, so it wouldn’t be awkward to replace it with electricity or batteries.

Just as it is okay to call magical armor powered by magic power armor powered by batteries.

Perhaps, without my knowledge, technological development that will trigger a kind of industrial revolution may be underway throughout the empire.

‘When I think about it, I keep getting lost in other, unimportant topics.’

I threw away useless thoughts and practiced reloading, which has now become almost a habit.

No matter how fast the reloading speed becomes, reloading one round at a time is always tedious, so I think it would be nice to have a tool that can load all six rounds at once.

‘It certainly seemed like the knights were holding something like that… but I was busy at the time so I couldn’t check it properly. ‘I’ll have to ask Veronica later.’

The appointment time with Veronica was approaching.

Veronica said she would come directly to our room this time, so we cleaned up and aired the room with Laura before she came.

Afterwards, as I sat idly waiting, someone knocked and announced that Veronica was visiting.

I jumped up, opened the door, and made eye contact with Veronica.

As soon as she saw me, she smiled, was very happy, and even gave me a hug.

Fortunately, Veronica was wearing casual clothes, so the sudden hug didn’t hurt.

“Nice to meet you. How have you been?”

“Yes, thanks to you, I had a great time.”

“I’m sorry that I haven’t been able to give you proper attention due to various excuses.”

“Oh, no. Just allowing me to stay here is too much. Hahaha.”

I truly thought so.

I was very grateful to Veronica for continuing to let me stay at her mansion even though she was no longer obligated to protect me.

And now that her favor was becoming a burden, he was about to prepare to leave the mansion.

“Is that so? Don’t be burdened. It would be best to sit down and talk first.”

“Ah, yes. Please come in.”

We sat across from each other on the sofa, and Laura stood politely next to me.

Soon, the maids served tea, and Veronica, a high-ranking person, savored the tea first, and then I drank it, showing courtesy.

Maintaining etiquette is important everywhere, especially when living in a class-based society like we do now.

And like Veronica, you can gain benefits just by showing a humble and polite attitude in front of nobles who are friendly towards commoners.

“Today I bring you good news and bad news.”

“I want to hear the bad news first.”

“The lord canceled his promise to invite you. You don’t even have time to throw a small banquet these days. I am sorry.”

“I was looking forward to it, but I’m really sorry. Please tell the lord not to pay attention.”

In my opinion, it’s not bad news at all.

I’m so happy that I no longer have to bow down in front of someone so high I don’t even know who he is!

But on the outside, I pretended to be disappointed.

If you like her openly, Veronica will be upset.

“What is the good news?”

“The lord has rewarded you. You’ll probably like it.”

“Compensation?”

“That’s right. Take a look for yourself.”

As Veronica clapped twice, two soldiers from the Knights Templar came in, pushing a cart with a large, luxurious box on it.

They approached me and carefully opened the box and showed me its contents.

“This!”

What welcomes me inside the box is a set of three magic guns.

I was excited and immediately used my analysis skills to check the performance.

They were all grade A in quality and had the prefix ‘Imperial Knight’s’ in front of them.

The common features are a 50% increase in firepower, a 50% reduction in recoil, and increased durability.

Additionally, the magic pistol had a headlight, the magic shotgun had a 50% increase in range, and the magic rifle had a 50% increase in penetration.

I really like them because they all have excellent performance with nothing to regret.

And it appears that the headlight function of the Imperial Knight’s magic pistol will be able to completely replace the lighting function of a pocket watch in the future.

It was a hassle to take out my pocket watch every time I needed it, but it worked out well.

“The lord gave you this gun set as a reward. Originally, it was only given to those who received the knighthood, but your merits were so great that a special exception was made. All the knights, including the leader, recognize this exception, so please do not feel burdened and accept it.”

“Please say thank you very much to the lord and the other knights.”

“Of course. And this is the promised compensation. Please know that the lord added additional compensation.”

Veronica gave me a coin of salt, or a large sum of money, worth a million lagirs.

Not long ago, I was very happy that I had about 300,000 Lagir in my pocket, but when I received more than three times that amount at once, I felt dumbfounded.

Gold coins, which are commonly seen in other games, feel really precious.

To be honest, I expected to receive about 100,000 Ragir at most, but I guess I thought the knights and lords were too salty.

“You gave me much more than I expected. Thank you.”

“I was worried that it wouldn’t be enough, but I’m glad. And what I am giving you now is my personal gift.”

A personal gift? Since you gave me a dildo last time, do you want to give me something like a double-ended dildo this time?

Well, there’s no way I would give such a gift outright when there are other soldiers around.

And I already bought it at a special store without Laura knowing.

‘I don’t have the courage to write it yet, but sooner or later, when Laura’s sexual desire builds up to a certain degree…’

While I was distracted for a moment, a cart came in with a large box and a long box, just like the box that had just arrived.

It is clearly written as a supply for the Knights, so I think it is a weapon this time too.

I already received enough weapons as a gift, so why give them more?

“Actually, these are gifts for Laura, not you.”

“Are you saying that?”

“Even if you are a slave, you fought hard this time, so I wanted to reward you.”

“Thank you!”

“Okay. Open it yourself.”

Laura opened the large box with slightly trembling hands at Veronica’s suggestion.

Inside it was a set of three magic guns, just like the one I received.

As soon as Laura saw them, she covered her wide-open mouth with her hand and didn’t know what to do.

“It is paid to ordinary soldiers belonging to the imperial army, including our knights. You deserve it.”

“Thank you very much for giving such a precious gift to me, a humble person.”

While Laura was thanking Veronica, I used my analysis skills to wonder what was different about the gift she received from mine.

They were all grade B in quality and had the prefix ‘Imperial Soldier’s’ in front of them.

All common functions and gun-specific functions were the same as mine, but the increase was 25% instead of 50%.

Perhaps because it was one level lower than what I received, its functionality was correspondingly lower.

However, even at this level, the performance was far superior compared to those sold on the market.

After me, Laura also received a gun set as a gift, so I have to sell the magic pistol that Laura used.

And I should keep the magic shotgun I got after dealing with the parasitic mushrooms in my bag for now.

“Try to open the small box too.”

“Yes, Veronica.”

Laura opened the long box this time and was impressed once again.

Another gift given to her is the sword used by knights.

When I used my analysis skill, I found that the quality was grade B, and like the gift Laura received earlier, it had the prefix ‘Imperial Soldier’s’.

It was disappointing that the only functions were strengthening durability and preventing rust, but seeing how Laura liked it, it didn’t seem to matter.

“Veronica, thank you for taking care of Laura. But is there any special gift for me?”

“Of course I prepared it. This is it.”

“What is this?”

“A certificate guaranteeing your status in my name and the Knights of Franca. No matter where you go in the empire, you will not have any trouble with minor administrative issues with your ID.”

The small certificate that Veronica handed me was inside something that looked like a square crystal, and when I pressed the small magic circle, the contents of the certificate appeared like a hologram.

“Rebecca, although it is a small gift, I prepared it with the intention that I will not forget what you dedicated yourself to Franca.”

“I don’t think I’ve done anything that great.”

“You started by protecting the children of the orphanage, obtained complete evidence of illegal monster research, and fought with us against high-level monsters, giving your comrades outside time to defeat them. Moreover, you did not just pass by the underground slaves and requested a rescue team. Thank you so much. Laura also did her best to help you, so she deserves praise.”

Veronica praised me and didn’t forget to mention Laura.

I was flattered, feeling like a hero, but I quickly calmed down, knowing full well that I was not such a noble person.

“I will never forget the day I fought together with Veronica.”

“Hahaha! Thank you! Rebecca, I cannot tell you how happy I am to know such a good person as you! But do you drink well?”

“Yes, that’s okay.”

“Good! Today we can drink and have fun together to our heart’s content. Hahaha!”

Veronica was having fun, constantly letting out a boisterous laugh that did not match her appearance.

I didn’t know that people would like what I said out of courtesy so much.

“I’m really looking forward to it too. Can I have a drink with Laura?”

“Of course. Rather, I would be disappointed if I were left out.”

“I’m glad. Thank you for always caring about Laura.”

“Even if I am a slave, there is no change in the fact that I, as a knight, am the people I must protect.”

Veronica said as if she were very proud.

In fact, there are not many nobles who have such a strong love for their people, so it is something to be proud of.

I am so fortunate that the nobleman I first became acquainted with is such a nice person.

“Then, I will send someone later, so please come to the meeting place on time. We are going to prepare a grand drinking party.”

“Yes, I’ll be looking forward to it.”

The food they usually serve is great, but I’m really looking forward to hearing that it’s a grand drinking party.

Now that I think about it, I have never drunk enough to get drunk since coming to this world.

At most, beer or wine was served with meals.

Anyway, if you get drunk, you might talk about your old life, so I think you should drink in moderation.